The Heir Apparent
by Henupenko
Summary: "Of course I understand, Cocytus. However do you not want Momonga-sama to leave an heir behind for us to pledge loyalty to?" An image of Momonga's heir floated into the head of Cocytus. Not only that, teaching him swordsmanship in order to protect himself, listening to the orders of a grown up young master. From Volume 1.


The Heir Apparent

I own nothing, save my sanity and these Doritos on my table.

* * *

Deep within Nazarick, a Succubus smiled.

She was well dressed, resembling a goddess more so than a demon. A pair of dark wings sprouted from her lower back and opened wide with glee.

A warm emotion swam acutely within the depths of her eyes as she kneeled. The mattress below was soft and pleasantly cool to the touch.

A faint smell lingered in the air, one that had been absent hitherto this moment.

At first, she had been unable to appreciate a scent of any sort, like many of times prior she could only grow in slight despair at her inability to do so. After all, the failure to ascertain the presence of a loved one, in all means and forms, was demoralizing.

But now things had changed, and she let the novel aroma invade her nostrils.

She would never allow it to fade from memory. Soothing, refreshing, such words were fit to describe such a wonderful smell.

If only it were possible to save this moment in time, she mused. If it could become something tangible, something capable of powerfully stimulating the senses, then she could choose to relive these experiences at a whim.

She would make sure to investigate the matter in the future.

For now…

 _Yes, a portrait. A family portrait…I should have one made soon…but then, how frequently? Every year seems too far apart. It would be unforgivable to allow so much to be lost. Hmm, but once a day…no, that would be inappropriate for a wife to request from her working husband. Oh!_

Here, in the most sacred of rooms, in the chamber of her most cherished ones, she felt her heart fill with an indescribable joy.

He stumbled but kept his balance.

This was the first time this had happened, the first of many events that she would come to witness.

Carefully, the Overseer offered her hands in invitation.

"Yes, that's right," she cooed, "come to me."

There was no malice, no enmity. Very few could have such power over her.

Albedo never dreamed it possible to feel what she was experiencing now.

She hadn't anticipated the effect he would have on her.

"You're almost there. Come on, come to mommy~."

He advanced slowly.

His limbs were short and lacked in strength, granting him a stature that was neither imposing nor impressive. His tiny feet trembled with weakness as they sank into the mattress. His trunk swayed heavily with each step and threatened to send him falling. In recourse, his hands instinctively reached for his mother's embrace.

It was too far a distance for his bony fingers to reach, however.

Not knowing what to do, he stopped. Perturbed and seemingly at a loss, his head rose slightly to meet her face.

Upon seeing the embers of crimson within his skull, Albedo's smile deepened.

Though he had ceased to walk, he remained standing, seemingly mesmerized by her presence.

Like a snake, the succubus crouched further and allowed her abdomen to rest entirely on the bed. Her elbows dug deep into the mattress as she perched her hands to rest below her chin. He was so small compared to her that even now, she could easily kiss the top of his forehead with great ease.

Her lips did so eagerly, and the resulting act caused him to lose his footing. He fell on the bed with a light 'flop'.

"~Ara, did I make you lose your balance? Let us try again. Only this time, Mommy will help you."

Her voice came out in dulcet tones while her hands gently raised him to his feet. There was almost nothing separating them now. Even so, Albedo was curious as to how he would respond to her voice.

It had only been a short time since she gave birth, but already his power was starting to manifest in the faintest of ways. Perhaps it was a mother's intuition, but she knew within her heart that he would become far stronger than she could imagine. However, Albedo had no way of knowing the milestones or the appropriate timetable to measure his development. For how could she?

None of the other guardians knew either. Even Demiurge, who had helped to make this all possible, was left bewildered.

The guardians had all grown in fear when they first saw him. Small and unmoving, he did away with all of their previous preconceptions.

It was shocking, inconceivable even.

The child of a Supreme Being…was utterly vulnerable.

He was at the complete mercy of those around him, and it was freighting.

But, nothing had gone wrong. This was just something new, something they, as imperfect beings, with their limited intellect and feeble minds, could never hope to understand fully.

Her beloved, on the other hand, was so surprised, so excited and so overjoyed that he even forgot himself for a moment and stuttered.

Of course, Albedo wasn't surprised to discover that he knew this to be normal. As the last Supreme Being, none of them could ever match him. That's why she was so happy. Her child had done that which no guardian could do. He had made his father temporarily lose his composure without as much as uttering a single word.

And because of this, she was confident that he would continue to grow in power and wisdom, for what else could be expected of such an offspring?

"Hold on to me."

She gingerly offered her two index fingers as support. His hands were so minute in size that he didn't need anything else.

Still, he only stared at Albedo, completely transfixed on her face. His eyes seemed to be thoroughly inspecting her face as if searching for something. If he could speak, perhaps they wouldn't have held each other's gaze for more than a few minutes.

Albedo didn't mind his stare. As a mother, it was her duty to ensure that he had a proper upbringing. Spending time with her son and getting to know him better than anyone else was necessary. Though their time together was still short, measurable only in a few weeks, she felt rather pleased with his demeanor thus far. She could tell that he was keen on familiarizing himself with his surroundings. Much like his father, he wished to know the details of the world around him. Yes, she thought, he would rule over millions in the future, it was splendid that he was already preparing for such a day.

"My, my, but you know…mommy still wants you to say her name first. Conquering the rest of the world will have to wait until then~."

She leaned her head forward until it came into contact with his. Soft and malleable, it did not hold the properties one would normally come to expect from the undead. Albedo held his hands in her own and inspected them, wishing to confirm something.

"I see. Demiurge was right, I suppose. Perhaps my essence is partly responsible."

On the tip of his fingers, one could appreciate the little bundles of skin that were starting to ascend proximally. Currently, his body was skeletal, but soft tissue was beginning to blanket his bones. Muscles were forming around his joints while ligaments and tendons began to bud from the bone beneath. Nerves were forming intricate pathways all along his body, tracing back to his spine and ascending all the way to his brain. The organ was small, but growing steadily by the day.

Due to the small jumpsuit she had sewn for him, Albedo could not appreciate the contents of his thorax or abdomen, but the smell of flesh emitting from beneath was indicative that all of the internal organs were slowly coming to as well.

While she probed his body to ensure nothing was causing him any distress, his arms finally moved, and weakly grasped at her horns.

It was faint, but the Overseer felt an upward force emitted from his hands.

"Very well, up it is."

Albedo embraced her child and brought him close to her bosom protectively as she stood fully.

She immediately noticed a change in the energy he was giving off.

"Oh, you like being carried, hm? I see, then let's see what else you enjoy."

Albedo dutifully carried the child outside of the chamber.

Both of them disappeared moments later, deeper into the tomb.

* * *

A/N:

Well, that was strange.

I honestly don't know how Albedo would change if she had a child.

Anyhow, I think I'll continue this by adding short encounters with the other guardians from time to time while focusing mainly on my other fic.

Hope everyone has a nice week.

-Henupenko


End file.
